Harris-Era Hangovers

Controversy has been swirling around the Toronto District School Board and the province has been putting pressure on the board to cut spending. But what's at the heart of the problem? CCPA Research Associate Hugh Mackenzie has been tracking the flawed provincial funding formula for education since former Premier Mike Harris first implemented it the late-1990s. His detailed report gives an overview of the chronic underfunding that school boards across Ontario, but Toronto in particular, have been struggling to deal with for almost two decades. Until the province deals with the flawed nature of the funding formula itself, Mackenzie predicts more headaches for Ontario school boards.

TORONTO – The political drama that's been unfolding at the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) over school closures and tight funding is totally avoidable, says the author of a new study from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives' Ontario office (CCPA-Ontario).